Rolling mills for rolling fragmentary metal into sheets, rods, wire or the like



Jan. 11, 1966 K. w. G. CLAUS 3,223,032

ROLLING MILLS FOR ROLLING FRAGMENTARY METAL INTO SHEETS, RODS, WIRE OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. '7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INDUCTION H54 TEE Jan. 11, 1966 K. w. G CLAUS 3,228,052

ROLLING MILLS FOR ROLLING FRAGMENTARY METAL INTO SHEETS, RODS, WIRE OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. '7, 1962 This invention relates to a rolling mill for rolling coarse or line pieces of metal, for instance powder, into sheets, rods, wire or the like, and which is provided with means for adjusting the temperature of the working surfaces that act upon the stock that is being rolled.

The object of the invention is to obtain, individually or in combination, the following advantages: the temperature of the tool surface that comes into direct contact with the stock is to be adjustable, that is to say, the surface is to be capable of being cooled so far, during opera tion, by special devices, that it does not exceed a definite temperature. In addition, the possibility is to be provided of heating this surface under certain circumstances. This becomes necessary when the rolling mill has been out of operation for a time and is to be brought into operation again. Furthermore it is an object of the invention to prevent heating of the rolls. Moreover the stock that is being rolled must be prevented from sticking to the surfaces that are treating the stock. Finally any cooling medium employed, whether liquid or gaseous, must not come into contact with the stock; for if portion of liquid or of certain gaseous cooling fluids lodge between the individual particles of the stock, there is the risk that these portions may become embedded therein during the rolling and may then exert, even after the rolling, a dis advantageous chemical or metallurgical influence upon the rolled stock.

For the purpose of attaining some or all of the said aims, the invention consists in the feature that a band passes round each roll of the rolling mill, in the region of its entry angle or nip, and that the working surfaces of the bands, at least in the regions that come into contact with the stock that is being rolled, are free from constituents of any fluid (liquid or gaseous) employed for instance as a heating agent.

The temperature of the surfaces of the bands may be adjusted by tempering appliances, such as water-jet nozzles or heating burners, acting upon the roll surfaces, so that the tempering of the working surfaces of the bands is effected indirectly as the bands come into contact with the tempered roll surfaces.

Another embodiment of the invention consists in the appliances for tempering the working surfaces that act upon the stock being arranged to one side of the rolls, where they act upon the bands travelling past them.

If bands made of metal, steel for example, are employed, the tempering appliances that serves for heating them may be induction coils, which, when an electric current flows through them, effect the heating of the bands.

Another possible solution consists in the tempering appliances directing cool or warm fluid (for instance gas or water) on to the side of the band remote from the working surface of the band, and outside that region in which the bands bear on the rolls.

Furthermore it is also possible for the tempering appliances that deliver cool or warm fluid to spray it directly on to the working surfaces of the bands, outside the region of the rolling plant, provided a stripper for the fluid and its residues is mounted between the tempering appliance and the roll bearing region.

ited States Patent Two constructional examples of the invention are diagrammatically illustrated by FIGURES l and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

By I, in FIGURE 1, is denoted the upper roll, and by 2 the lower roll, of a roll stand. Both rolls may be provided with internal cooling means. The two rolls are driven at the same speed. Round the upper roll 1 passes an endless band 3, and round the lower roll 2 an endless band 4. Metallic powder or fragments of metal 7 are engaged by the bands 3 and 4, and rolled out by the pressure of the rolls 1 and 2 into a strip 7a. In the nip or angular region of the rolls, in which they draw in the powder '7 between them, the rolls are wrapped round with the bands 3 and 4, whilst in other sectors they are free, that is to say, the roll 1 is free on its left-hand side, and the roll 2 is free in the right-hand angular region. The region in which the bands 3 and 4 bear on the rolls 1 and 2 respectively is hereinafter referred to as the roll bearing region.

Spraying nozzles 5 and 6 may at times spray the lower runs of the bands 3 and 4 with cooling media, this being done in such a Way that the side of the bands that comes into contact with the stock is directly cooled. The endless band 3 runs round guide rollers 8 and 9. In the same manner the band 4 is guided by deflecting roller 10 and 11. By 12 and 13 are denoted scrapers which strip off the cooling medium, and clean the bands from any residues of the stock 7 and this material may be removed through ducts l4 and 15. Heating appliances 16 and 17, for heating up the bands, are equipped with gasburners or with electrical induction coils. Collecting vessels l8 and 19 guide away the cooling water from the spraying nozzles 5 and 6 respectively, and a roller bed 26 conveys away the rolled strip 7a. Nozzles 21 and 22 spray aluminum oxide when required on to the bands 3 and 4.

The bands 3 and 4 may advantageously be made of material which is a poor conductor of heat, for instance titanium, or high-grade alloy steel, in order to keep the roll temperature low. The heat insulating layer of aluminum oxide sprayed onto the surface of the bands 3 and 4- by nozzles 21 and 22 also serves to diminish the flow of heat from the powder or fragments 7 to the rolls 1 and 2. This spraying is effected continuously, since the layer is constantly being wholly or partly removed by the roiling operation, the spraying with cooling water, and the scraping by the strippers I2 and 13. It is however possible, as a modification of this, to employ solidly adhering coatings.

The invention is not restricted to the constructional examples illustrated and described, since it is possible to provide either a cooling or a heating appliance, to pass the band through a cooling bath instead of cooling it by means of spraying nozzles, or to spray the side of the band remote from the stock, as in FIGURE 2, described below. Instead of the scrapers 12 and 13, rotating wire brushes may be employed. Furthermore it is possible to pass the bands through two or more roll stands, in which case the position of the rolls relative to one another may be varied, without going outside the fundamental idea of the invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2, bands 33 and 34 pass around the rolls 31 and 32. The metal powder 35 is engaged by the bands 33 and 34, and is rolled out into a strip by the pressure of the rolls 31 and 32. Spraying nozzles 36 spray the rolls 31 and 32 with cooling medium. Burners 37 may preheat the rolls. Instead of the spraying nozzles 36, or even in addition to them, spraying nozzles 38 may be provided, which spray the bands with cooling medium on the side remote from the stock. Burners 39 may heat the bands by directing flames on to the inner sides of the bands.

It will be seen that by the above described invention there has been provided a rolling mill which may be utilized to form metal bodies from metal particles heated to a relatively high temperature and in which cooling means is provided to prevent over-heating of the surfaces in contact with the metal and also in which heating means is provided to heat the surfaces in contact with the metal to a desired temperature after periods of inactivity.

The metal particles are rolled at a relatively high temperature and since a fluid medium is utilized for cooling purposes, means is provided to remove all traces of such medium in order to prevent infiltration of the same into the metal body being formed from metal particles.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rolling mill including a pair of opposed working rolls, an endless movable band engaging a portion of the surface of one working roll and trained over an idler roll to provide spaced runs, a second endless movable band engaging a portion of the surface of the other working roll and trained over a second idler roll to provide spaced runs, means for feeding metal particles heated to a relatively high temperature between said working rolls in engagement with the outer surfaces of said bands to form a metal body, nozzles disposed adjacent the portion of the outer surface of each band moving away from said working rolls for spraying a cooling medium on the outer surface of the run of each band moving away from said working rolls and means disposed between said nozzles and the point of feeding of said particles for removing foreign material including said cooling medium from the outer surfaces of said bands.

2. A rolling mill as defined in claim 1, in which high temperature heating means is provided for heating the runs of said band moving toward said working rolls.

3. A rolling mill as defined in claim 2, in which said bands are metal and said heating means is of the electrical induction type. s?

4. A rolling mill including a pair of opposed working rolls, an endless movable band engaging a portion of the surface of one working roll and trained over an idler roll to provide spaced runs, a second endless movable band engaging a portion of the surface of the other working roll and trained over a second idler to provide spaced runs, means for feeding metal particles heated to a relatively high temperature between said working rolls in engagement with said bands to form a metal body, and means for continuously applying an insulating coating to the outer surface of the run of each band moving toward said Working rolls to substantially prevent the transmission of heat from said particles to said bands.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 279,913 6/ 1883 Chase.

915,848 3/ 1909 Garrison et a1. 1,308,111 7/1919 Porzel 18-6 1,692,322 11/ 1928 Aiken. 2,134,366 10/1938 Hardy. 2,341,732 2/ 1944 Marvin. 2,434,541 1/1948 Bierer 18-6 X 2,442,443 6/ 1948 Swallow 18-6 2,526,033 10/ 1950 Lyon 18-9 2,835,016 5/1958 Dixon. 2,852,811 9/ 1958 Petriello. 3,011,213 12/1961 Brandon et a1.

3,034,173 5/1962 Worn et a1. 18-9 FOREIGN PATENTS 519,576 3/1931 Germany.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A ROLLING MILL INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSED WORKING ROLLS, AN ENDLESS MOVABLE BAND ENGAGING A PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF ONE WORKING ROLL AND TRAINED OVER IN IDLER ROLL TO PROVIDE SPACED RUNS, A SECOND ENDLESS MOVABLE BAND ENGAGING A PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF THE OTHER WORKING ROLL AND TRAINED OVER A SECOND IDLER ROLL TO PROVIDE SPACED RUNS, MEANS FOR FEEDING METAL PARTICLES HEATED TO A RELATIVELY HIGH TEMPERATURE BETWEEN SAID WORKING ROLLS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID BANDS TO FORM A METAL BODY, NOZZLES DISPOSED ADJACENT THE PORTION OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF EACH BAND MOVING AWAY FROM SAID WORKING ROLLS FOR SPRAYING A COOLING MEDIUM ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE RUN OF EACH BAND MOVING AWAY FROM SAID WORKING ROLLS AND MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID NOZZLES AND THE POINT OF FEEDING OF SAID PARTICLES FOR REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL INCLUDING SAID COOLING MEDIUM FROM THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID BANDS. 